The Gift of Giving Comes Back to You

July 15, 2016 By Karen Putz Leave a Comment

This is a sponsored post in partnership with Konenkii, a very cool discovery box company. Get your own subscription or gift to a friend at http://www.konenkii.com, where the promo code BOLDER10 will get you 10% off!

“For it is in giving that we receive.”
― Francis of Assisi

I loved the joy on my friend’s face when she opened her Konenkii box. Sue LaFauce and I have been friends since our college days. We’ve gone through many ups and downs over the years, confiding in each other at every turn. Friendships like that are priceless. So when Jan Craige Singer and Sarah White offered me the opportunity to review the Konenkii summer box, I asked if I could give it to Sue.

But of course, they said.

That’s exactly the premise they’ve based their company on, the gift of giving. Giving to yourself, giving to others.

The gift boxes are just the beginning of the company; there’s more to Konenkii’s vision of inspiring and empowering women: connection is next. Jan and Sarah plan to use Konenkii as a platform to bring women together to share experiences and celebrate their lives. They’re passionately driven to redefining aging, something we do here at Growing Bolder.

“Passion is deep within you, no one else can know how it works for you,” Sarah explained. “It is feeling so strongly about something that you want to follow that dream.”

“Passion is about searching, it’s about never being satisfied,” Jan said. “I know it sounds like the opposite of what many people say about passion, but if you’re satisfied, it means you’re inert. for me, passion is constantly exploring. You’re in the flow–you get lost in it.”

It is that very passion that finds Jan and Sarah spending hours searching for just the right gifts to put in each box every quarter. They want every box to be opened with anticipation, wonder, and yes, passion, too.

You can read more about Konenkii and the inspiration behind the name: Why Pampering is Important.

Jan and Sarah also surprised me with a summer box of my own. I had just returned from Austria and was kicking myself for not buying a scarf while I was out there. I was looking for something free-flowing and casual, something that would go with blue jeans. I found one at a shop and intended to go back to get it, but we didn’t make it back to that shop.

So when I pulled out the first item from the box, my mouth fell wide open–it was a beautiful cream and blue scarf! I was so excited that I had to share it on social media, even though Sue hadn’t yet opened her box.

Finally, Sue and I were able to mesh our schedules and meet up so that I could see her open the Konenkii box. Sue also went right for the scarf the minute she opened the box. I think the joy on her face mimics the same that I felt when I opened mine! Take a look: She Loves the Scarf! We also found delicious cookies, inspirational postcards (with the stamp on them!), a plant in a shell (really!), body butter (don’t eat this one!), a zippered bag, and more.

The Summer Box is sold out, but you can order a Fall Box for yourself or for a friend. The code, BOLDER10 will give you 10% off. Every box is special, you will get something fabulous to eat, to wear, to read, or share. Every single gift is selected with the intention to ease, educate, and empower you.

This is a sponsored post in partnership with Konenkii, a very cool company started by two friends who believe that we can all face the aging process fearlessly while having fun. When you sign up for a Konenkii box, you can choose between quarterly subscriptions or special one-time shipments. Each discovery box comes with different items, hand selected to give you something fabulous to eat, wear, read or share. Remember that you can get your own Konenkii subscription or gift to a friend at http://www.konenkii.com, where the promo code BOLDER10 will get you 10% off!

Konenkii, the Box That Pampers You

March 17, 2016 By Karen Putz Leave a Comment

When I arrived home from a recent trip to Maui and San Diego, I found a much-anticipated Konenkii box on my counter. Last month, I introduced you to Jan and Sarah, the two women who created Konenkii, a unique gift company geared to women–whether you’re 40 or 104. I highlighted their journey here: Why Pampering Is Important.

First, it was a really fun surprise not knowing what would be inside the box. When I opened it up, I was hit with a dazzle of color. Two large-sized chocolate bars in colorful wrappers.

(That was no accident, by the way — this box had a spring theme of embracing color, which was reflected in each gift right down to the chocolate wrappers and in the other gifts, as you’ll see below!)

One was milk chocolate (which my son loves) and the other was dark chocolate (which I ate!). The chocolate was very creamy and rich and not bitter at all–something that can be difficult to find with dark chocolate. I had planned to eat just half of it and save the other half for my husband. Oops.

Now, I almost made the mistake of eating the colorful wildflower seed bombs. Fortunately, I took a glance at the paper attached to the bottom and discovered that each little organic ball could be planted outside and set to bloom this summer. Each seed bomb contains Catchfly, Snapdragon, White Yarrow, Shirley Poppy, Red Prairie Coneflower, and Sweet Alyssum. So, just think, another surprise to see this summer!

Each box always includes something to wear and this one included a beautiful pink beaded, Shamballa bracelet that is adjustable for any size wrist. It’s not just an ordinary bracelet–Shamballa is a mythical place where we find our true selves the Konenkii card explains. “Harmony, enlightenment, and compassion are connected with this piece of jewelry. Every time you wear it, you’re reminded in a symbolic way that we are all one.”

For the bath, there was what I originally thought was a pumice stone (it’s actually a Green Tea Konjac Sponge that is supposed to be used on the face — see more in Konenkii’s blog post which also has a tutorial video for how to use it) and a Cherry Blossom soap scrub. The sponge is from the fibers of a Konnyaku tuber and has been used by women in Asia for many years. Through a quick search online, I learned that Konnyaku is native to Indonesia and it is used as a food in Japan.

Jan and Sarah put together some recipe cards for healthy eating. They’re definitely not your usual same-old, same old recipes–I found each of them to be enticing, especially the lemon squares with coconut. All of the recipes use a variety of healthy ingredients from every color of the food palette.

There was a silicone sleeve that I could not for the life of me figure out what it was for at first. When I pulled out the instruction card, there was an ah-ha moment: “Stick this little baby on the back of your phone and go!” You can slip in your license, credit card, or hotel key on the back of your phone and the silicone keeps it from de-magnetizing. A handy way to carry your money and I.D. without a purse. Genius. I could have totally used that while on the beach in Maui last week!

The best part of all for me was the coloring book and pencils. This is a quality book with many designs and rich-colored pencils. If you haven’t tried a coloring book yet, then this one is for you. I have found that my mind calms down, my breath slows, and the stress simply melts away when I’m coloring. Sometimes I put my favorite music on (loud!) and just go into the experience of being a kid again. If you think you’re way too busy to frivel away time with such nonsense, then you probably need this more than anyone. It’s like that old Zen adage: “You should sit in meditation for twenty minutes every day, unless you’re too busy; then you should sit for an hour.”

With Mother’s Day and Easter coming up, the Konenkii box is a wonderful gift. You can sign up for one box or receive them quarterly (and remember: they make great gifts for other women!). Jan and Sarah have a bigger vision planned and there’s even more ahead. Hop on over to Konenkii to explore more. You can find them on Facebook and Twitter as well. For women “north of 40,” there’s a lot to celebrate!

This is a sponsored post in partnership with Konenkii, a very cool company started by two friends who believe that we can all face the aging process fearlessly while having fun. When you sign up for a Konenkii box, you can choose between quarterly subscriptions or special one-time shipments. Each discovery box comes with different items, hand selected to give you something fabulous to eat, wear, read or share.Remember that you can get your own Konenkii subscription or gift to a friend at http://www.konenkii.com, where the promo code BOLDER10 will get you 10% off!

Hear the World, One Person at a Time

December 7, 2015 By Karen Putz 6 Comments

You go to a party and the noise is so loud that you can’t hear half of what’s being said.

This is typical for most people. It’s even worse for people who are deaf or hard of hearing. Social situations can turn into nightmares.

Most of us don’t like nightmares. We avoid them, don’t we?

Now hear this. (Oh yes, funny pun intended. Life is too short to be serious all the time.) Fifteen to 17 percent of the population around the world has some loss of hearing.

Fifteen to 17 percent.

That’s a lotta people. About 36 million or so.

That’s a lot of people avoiding social nightmares. The problem is, we tend to bury the “hearing loss problem” under the rug. It’s hard to find public awareness campaigns that address the social and emotional aspects of being deaf or hard of hearing. No one is running out to get the latest hearing aids the way they might rack up 20 different pairs of fashionable glasses. I’m on a mission to change that–and to get people comfortable with being deaf or hard of hearing. I hope hearing aids will soon be accepted as fashionable as eyeglasses.

As we add more and more candles to our birthday cakes, our senses can experience some decline. According to NIH Senior Health, the breakdown is like this:

18 percent of American adults are 45-64 years old
30 percent of adults are 65-74 years old
47 percent of adults are 75 years old, or older

And here’s another statistic; according to Hear the World, 665,000 deaf and hard of hearing children are born every year.

Now, I’m partial to the Hear the World Foundation because I wear Phonak hearing aids and the company has been a wonderful supporter of my barefoot water skiing activities over the years. I love Hear the World’s work in creating awareness and encouraging people to embrace the journey of being deaf/hard of hearing. The Hear the World Foundation is a Swiss non-profit focused on providing support for people in developing countries or low income regions who don’t have access to hearing care or hearing aids. They’ve supported over 60 projects across all 5 continents since 2006. In particular, the projects support deaf and hard of hearing children by giving grants to groups looking to run hearing healthcare programs globally. These programs, which vary in length and broad objectives, ultimately enable children to hear to the best of their ability.

Hear the World has created a 2016 calendar featuring Tina Turner, Rosamund Pike, Naomi Harris, Lea Seydoux, Rufus Sewell, Anastacia and others. This project is spearheaded by legendary Canadian singer and photography enthusiast Bryan Adams to raise funds that put these global hearing health programs into action.

The limited edition calendar is available at www.hear-the-world.com.

Embracing the Shape, Learning to Love My Body

October 8, 2015 By Karen Putz 6 Comments

In the yo-yo roller coaster ride of weight up, weight down, I’m in the gaining weight stage lately. It’s a great disappointment to me, as I worked really hard to lose 55 pounds five years ago and it’s slowly creeping back on–the result of less gym time and more sitting time. My muffin top has now turned into a pound cake.

I could blame it on mid-life, too. After all, menopause has paid a visit and apparently plans to stay. Hot flashes flare up at any given time and instantly turn on the sweat faucet. The hubby and I play a game of “Turn the fan on/Turn the fan off” all night long. I used to laugh at those stories of menopause from my elders when I was younger. I watched in amusement as my mother dropped everything to grab a newspaper and fan herself. Now I find myself doing the same.

I don’t know how I got to this point so fast.

I turned 50 this summer and vowed it was going to be the decade of embracing the shape. It was time to love this body that carried every heartbeat and every breath for half of a decade. So when my barefoot instructor posted this photo on Facebook, I cringed at first. All the “lumps” of me, hanging out.

But I knew that if I was going to truly embrace every imperfection of “me,” I had to embrace this photo as well.

Several friends were quick to remind me that I was missing the whole point of the picture–that I was engaged in something I passionately love to do. So I’m putting this out here to encourage others to “Embrace the Shape.” Those of you with less-than-perfect bodies, if you are holding back on life in any way, let this be an invitation to create a change. Identify what you would truly like to experience in life and take those steps to begin.

My Mother, My Rock

May 4, 2015 By Karen Putz 5 Comments

I love my mom so freaking much.

Mother’s Day is coming up and so is my mom’s birthday. This year, she will turn 87. Eighty-seven. I find it hard to comprehend that number, so I choose not to. My mom is my rock–she’s the one I turn to in the ups and downs of life. She raised five kids and always managed to squeeze a quarter out of a penny. When my youngest son was 6 months old, she had three heart attacks in one week. Once she bounced back, she quickly made changes and embraced a healthier lifestyle.

In January, my mom and sister decided to do something bold–sell the lake house and move to an adult-living community in Tennessee–where they know no one. While touring the complex, they walked into a house that they liked and right then and there, they decided to embark on a new adventure.

In a strange twist to the journey, mom landed in a hospital while vacationing in Florida and had a pacemaker put in. Once she arrived home to see her regular heart doctor, things became worse. The doctor prescribed a different regimen of medicines and we began to notice that mom wasn’t quite the same. My sister took her to the hospital and she was diagnosed with an extremely low sodium level. For several days, the nurses and doctors monitored her blood to increase her sodium levels. Even though her sodium levels stabilized, Mom continued to show impaired thinking and could hardly walk. We felt like the staff simply wrote it off as “old age.”

Mom was sent back home and immediately became ill with an upset stomach and increased paranoia. Back into the hospital she went, with another round of blood draws and adjustments.

I strongly suspected the medicines were the problem. My mom’s behavior and impaired thinking began when the new medicines were prescribed. The doctor lowered some of the dosages, but mom continued to suffer. In desperation, I turned to the internet for answers.

I discovered a valuable tool for checking drug interactions and compatibility issues: Medscape Drug Interaction Checker.

After scouting through the list I discovered mom was taking two drugs that were not meant to be taken together. Sure enough, the list of side effects mirrored what was happening to my mom. I double-checked with my cousin who is a pharmacist.

Mom discontinued the drug that was listed and slowly she’s been getting better, but still not back to the same mom of a few months ago. I now suspect the dosage of one drug and the side effects of another are to blame. Another meeting with the doctor is coming up.

As much as I’m thankful for modern medicine, it seems we have gone way overboard in the number of pills that are casually prescribed today. I see an alarming trend that routinely includes several vials of pills for blood pressure, cholesterol, blood thinners, and more. It seems like we are developing more and more medicines every day and not really understanding the effects of multiple concoctions on the human body. For example–one of the medicines I looked up had 223 drugs listed as dangerous when taken in combination with this drug. How does a doctor even begin to keep up their knowledge of drugs when there are so many on the market? How does anyone even measure the effects of taking 5 different medicines a day?

Not long ago, I watched a drug commercial where the list of side effects was the longest part of the commercial. The side effects included “kidney failure and possible death.”

How in the world does the possibility of death make a drug worth taking? To me, that seems like Pill Roulette.

Soon, we will be connected with a new doctor in a new state and I’m hoping for a complete turnaround.

I really want my mom back. She’s my rock.

Update:

After cutting the dosage of one drug in half and taking it at night, my mom started getting her strength and mental clarity back! We noticed the difference almost immediately. A few days later, she was able to walk more and more without the walker.

I’m so thankful to see her back!
Karen Putz is an author, speaker, and Passion Mentor who helps others unwrap their passions at any age. For fun, she walks on water with the assistance of a rope, boat, and driver. Connect with Karen via Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and her website: Ageless Passions.

The Simple Secret to Becoming a Champion

October 16, 2014 By Karen Putz Leave a Comment

Every year I look forward to Women’s Barefoot Week at the World Barefoot Center (WBC) in Florida. In a male-dominated sport, it’s really nice to kick back with other gals for a week.

One of the instructors at the WBC is David Small, a five-time World Champion. David was also a Junior World Champion as well. He’s been in the sport since he was 12. Seventeen years later, he’s still passionate as ever.

“What’s the secret to winning year after year?” I asked David. “What makes someone a champion?”

His answer was pretty simple: “You have to want it more than anything else.”

That’s right–the hunger, the passion, the deep desire will carry you and fuel you for any championship in life.

Whatever it is you want in life–you have to want it more than anything else.

Ken Cowles, The Gator Guy

September 12, 2014 By Karen Putz Leave a Comment

I’m deathly afraid of alligators, so when a friend introduced me to Ken Cowles, a fellow barefoot water skier, I took one look at his Facebook profile picture and cringed. Ken was sitting on a humongous gator with a mouth so big it could swallow a barefoot water skier in one single gulp.

My fear of alligators has become a running joke among friends and they love to torture me with photos and videos on my Facebook wall. And because Facebook loves to respond to anything popular in your feed by sending you even more of the same stuff–Ken Cowles posts began to show up in my feed with gator after gator. Turns out Ken is the epitome of boldness. He regularly goes face to face with alligators as a licensed trapper in Sarasota, Florida. In fact, in the middle of our interview for this Growing Bolder post, Ken was called away to chase an unruly 11.5 foot gator that was swimming in the Gulf of Mexico.

I was really curious about Ken’s story. Why would anyone want to face those beasts on a regular basis?

It’s definitely not for the money, because it’s a tough, dangerous job that requires a lot of time and personal resources to make it happen.

When I first contacted Ken, I jokingly (actually, I was serious) asked him to get rid of the gators from the lakes I ski on every year in Florida. He laughed. Apparently he’s used to those requests. Ken’s own foray into the alligator business came about after he called a trapper to remove some large alligators from a lake he and his kids were skiing on. Ken was fascinated with the process and he began to learn the skills involved in catching gators.

“Of course, there’s no manual to read, you have to learn as you go,” Ken explained. “Each alligator is different and can surprise you. Once you get to the point you think you know everything, that’s when trouble happens.”

I was surprised to learn that 90 percent of the time, Ken catches alligators by calling them first. He has a series of grunts and calls recorded on a boom box and plays the sounds from shore. Occasionally he uses his own voice to mimic an alligator grunt. Sometimes the gators come so enthusiastically they attack the boom box and chomp down. Ken has had to replace a few boxes over the years.

I asked Ken to share some of his scariest incidents in catching gators. Most of the time the catches are routine as he employs a variety of ways to bait, snag, fish, or noose a gator. “I have had many catches that probably qualify as scary, many of which ultimately are forgotten,” Ken said. “I will say that especially when you first start catching gators, every one of them scare the crap out of you. After you’ve gained experience and know what you’re doing you are best to remain scared, because the minute you aren’t scared you get careless and by not paying attention you can easily lose your life or a limb.”

Ken almost lost a limb once. Ken’s father was sitting on a eight-foot gator that they had caught at a golf course. Ken reached over to remove a treble hook and the reptile clamped down on his left forearm. For twenty long minutes, Ken tried everything to get the gator to loosen his grip, ending up with his right hand trapped too. Whatever you do, don’t get up, he told his dad. Finally, the animal relaxed and Ken broke free. “I ended up with lots of puncture wounds and holes punched through fingers. But other than that….no broken bones. I had all my appendages–just a wounded ego,” Ken laughed.

Alligators are known to be lightning fast and extremely powerful. During one call, Ken arrived to find a gator on a sidewalk outside of a home. When he approached, the gator turned and ran. Ken chased after it running at full speed and still couldn’t catch up with it. “I was running as fast as I could and it was pulling away,” Ken recalled. “I threw my lariat and by luck, noosed it like a cowboy at a rodeo.”

Ken has removed alligators from an eight-foot fence (yes, they can climb!) and a second floor condominium. He has climbed into storm drain pipes and hauled them out of there.

Every morning, Ken hits the gym to stay fit so he can lift the gators into his truck. Between operating a real estate business with his father, he’s always switching between business suits and his trapper uniform. “I am kind of a modern day Clark Kent as I change back and forth from real estate to gator wrangling costumes,” Ken said. For fun, you can find him barefoot water skiing or coaching a lacrosse team.

Among his many skills, Ken can whip up Gator Guy Gumbo– a recipe that won first place in a gumbo contest.

The Gator Guy’s Gator Gumbo:

Olga Kotelko Inspired Change

June 30, 2014 By Karen Putz Leave a Comment

I was having a crappy morning. For the first time in years, I overslept and missed a phone meeting and a breakfast meeting. To top it off, my phone stopped working.

I had a phone interview scheduled with Bruce Grierson, the author of “What Makes Olga Run,” and I was running late to catch a train.

I first found Olga’s story through Growing Bolder, At 91, Olga is a World Champion Athlete. Her story intrigued me because I unwrapped an old passion for an extreme sport at the age of 44 and gained a whole new outlook of what it meant to grow bolder instead of older. Olga took up softball and track in her 70’s and went on to set many new World records in track and field. In March of this year, Olga set eight new records while competing in Budapest.

Bruce opened our interview with sobering news: Olga passed away five days before from a brain aneurysm. Definitely sudden and very unexpected. My heart sank.

Bruce was one of the many fortunate ones whose lives were touched by Olga.

“The two of us met when I was struggling with my own health,” Bruce said. “I lost my fitness, and my bad eating and sleep habits caught up with me. I was discouraged. when i met Olga, she quickly reframed my circumstances and my outlook. She was very positive.”

Bruce is an example of Olga’s lessons in action. He changed his attitude, his health, and his sleep pattern. He made small changes in his daily habits, and created new ones. The changes had a ripple effect on his family.

Without a doubt, Olga left an impact on many. She inspired people to look at life with a whole new attitude of possibilities instead of limits.

“Olga taught me not to think that our horizons are shrinking–they aren’t. Mindset matters a lot,” Bruce said. “Become someone who can improve continusly all the way to the end of life. It’s choice worth making for all of us. I’ve been a nicer person to live with since then. All of those things I owe to Olga.”

Photo credit: Nick Procaylo, Vancouver Sun

Why I Hang Around Old Ladies

February 7, 2012 By Karen Putz Leave a Comment

Five ladies barefooting

Barefoot water skiing is considered an extreme sport, so it might come as a surprise to find 69-year-old Judy Myers skimming across the water in Winter Haven, Florida. In the boat, 63-year-old Joann O’Connor zips up her wetsuit and gets ready for her run. Then there’s 62-year-old Valerie Shinn, 60-year-old Deb Fahrenthold and the youngster, 59-year-old Claudia Landon.

All five gals were featured in a recent issue of The Waterskier magazine.

At 46-years-old, I’m the youngest of the group. But let me tell you, these women kick my butt on the water. Not just in their skills, but in their toughness. There were days when I would come off the water whining about bruises and sore muscles– only to have Judy tell me to “suck it up” with a dry look on her face.

Joann skis with a fused ankle, the result of a motorcycle accident years ago. But she embodies the three “P’s”: patience, persistence and perseverance. Whenever I feel like giving up on a new skill, she pushes me along. In the same vein, Judy reminds me that success doesn’t come easy– one has to pay their dues, sometimes over and over before seeing results.

Claudia and Val are the quiet performers. They get out on the water and advance their skills without much fanfare, but they wow you with new skills. Age is no barrier for trying new things. Claudia has an arm held together by several screws. Val still climbs pyramids in ski shows.

Then there’s Deb. When I met Deb in October of last year, she was back on the water five years after dealing with a brain tumor. The tumor was still entwined in her head, her hearing was gone from one ear and she had to fight to keep her balance. But there she was, out on the water, first on shoes then finally back on her feet. The concern that was etched in her face in the first days gave way to a big smile as she skimmed the water.

As much as I joke about hanging around old ladies, they’ve taught me to have a whole new outlook on what it means to grow bolder, not older. Before I met these gals, my future looked dismal; it was painted with the depressing idea of body parts going south and wrinkles etched in skin. It was a future that appeared to be dotted with the resignation that the best years of youth were over and done with.

And that’s why I hang with these bold ladies, because I know the best years of life are still ahead.

Photo credit: Lynn Novakovski, Waterskier magazine. Used with permission. Left to right: Joann O’Connor, Deb Fahrenthold, Claudia Landon, Val Shinn, and in front, Judy Myers.

Claudia Landon, Pure Poetry on Water

March 19, 2011 By Karen Putz Leave a Comment

When I first met Claudia Landon at the Women’s Barefoot Week at the World Barefoot Center last November, I was in awe as I watched her come out of the water gracefully on her feet– backwards. “You’re pure poetry on water,” I told 58-year-old Claudia as she climbed into the boat.

Claudia didn’t start barefoot water skiing until she was 37 years old. She spent years driving the boat while her husband and son went barefooting and then one day, she decided to join in on the fun. She donned her husband’s wetwuit and hung on to the boom. Once she put her feet in the water, a huge smile came over her face and she knew her boat driving days were over. It was now her turn to enjoy the sport.

“I stayed on the boom for a long time,” said Claudia. “I finally decided to try the short line off the boom and I got up on my first try. My husband, Dave, was so surprised– he didn’t think I could do it!”

Claudia achieved the same result two years later when she moved behind the boat using a 75-foot line: she got up on her first try and barefooted away. Claudia and Dave attended barefoot tournaments for years before she finally decided to enter a tournament herself at the age of 47. “I never thought I would compete myself,” Claudia recalled. “I was completely nervous and scared to death! I accomplished everything I planned to do in my two runs and was so excited afterwards.” Even a judge from the boat noticed. “You look so happy!” he told her.

Claudia continued to compete and rack up medals. “There are few women in my age division, so I often received a medal automatically. However, there is one tournament I’m especially proud of– I won the Overall at the 2004 Nationals with five others in my age group. I was really excited because I actually earned it with my skiing.” Claudia and Dave traveled to New Zealand to compete in the Worlds in 2009.

As her barefooting journey developed, Claudia racked up a few injuries. She ruptured her ear drum several times until finally, a doctor told her what she had to do to protect her ears and allow them to heal: ear plugs, a swim cap, a head band and then a helmet over the whole thing. One morning, during a simple run, Claudia fell and broke her wrist. “I think my hand came up near my helmet, it may have been the helmet that caused it to break,” she explained. Dave was recovering from double carpel tunnel surgery so they took some time off the water. Today, they’re both back on the water, skiing again. “There are not many married couples that barefoot together,” said Claudia. “Many people tell me how lucky we are to be able to enjoy a sport together. It’s awesome to be able to share that together.”

Dave and Claudia do not plan to give up this extreme sport anytime soon. They’re inspired by Judy Myers (68) and John McDonald (81) who are still competing.

“Besides,” said Claudia, “Barefooting across a lake that looks like a mirror on a warm, sunny morning is good for the soul.”